I just read a news article talking about Home Depot targeting “millennials,” and in the story they mocked Home Depot’s “How to Use a Tape Measure” video.
I wasn’t aware of the video, or their “DIY Digital Workshop” videos, so I took a look at the 59 second tutorial. Here it is:
Advertisement
That’s pretty basic stuff, and leaves some things out, but I’m sure that 1 minute of the pure basics is exactly what some people need.
Different people have different capabilities. I never took a shop class, a woodworking class, or anything of the like. I remember my father using tape measures when I was a kid, and I remember borrowing them when I needed to measure something too long for a ruler.
There is nothing wrong with not knowing how to use basic tools, as long as one is willing to learn when the need arises
That said, I’m going to make sure that both my kids have a basic understanding of how to use tools, and how to pick the right one for different tasks.
With tape measures, I remember having to look up why there are black diamond markings every 19.2″. That’s probably not something most non-professionals can figure out on their own.
As for hooks, I once saw someone hammer down the rivets, to “fix the wobble.” (The hook move slightly forward and back to compensate for its thickness, effectively moving the “zero” point of the hook when making outside or inside measurements.)
I am pretty sure that someone else once told me of the potential benefits of starting a measurement at 1″ instead of 0.
Some people don’t know how to cook, others don’t know how to swing hammers, and others see every tool as a hammer, and every screwdriver as a chisel or pry bar.
That all said, when did you learn how to use a tape measure?
Where? At home, school, work?
I learned how to use a tape measure when I was a kid, and learned more since then. There’s probably still a trick or tip or two I could stand to pick up. I learned how to use a ruler at school, and believe my tape measure use started at home.